I have an opportunity to go to Gen Con this year and was hoping some of the seasoned veterans answer a few questions...

My plan is to bring my college age son along with me (who plays fewer games than I do but has an interest) in case that affects the answers.

1) This will be my first gaming convention of any sort. I do play a fair amount of games, but I feel I am unlikely to be super familiar with the vast range of games being played. Is Gen Con generally new-player friendly?  Should I be doing game specific research ahead of time?

2) My family and I will already be in the area (not staying downtown).  Will it be easy enough to get dropped off/picked up nearby?

3) I am aware of the event sign up process, but if we don't get what we want (or things I'm familiar with), will it be easy enough to find a welcoming table somewhere?

4) Are there any "must not miss" events or vendors to visit that provide a unique or limited run/promo opportunity?  How do we find out about these as the dates approach?

5) Anything else I should know before we head in blind?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.  I am very much looking forward to it.

1. Please look at the Event description, the GM in most cases will tell you if it is for newcomers or an Advanced system.

2. Yes, I suggest the Maryland entrance, you can drive into the area and pick anyone up.

3. There will be open gaming, also events are being added well after Event Reg so you can always look for something daily if you like. People drop their events as well for something else.

4. Really depends on your personal taste. 

5. Make a Wish List for Events and be ready to submit it When Event Reg opens.

Mike

Google "GenCon Advice" and you'll find the rest of what you need to know about GenCon. Your mileage may vary but the most basics will include:

5/2/1: 5 hours of sleep/2 meals/1 shower every day.
We're all in this together so manners and kindness are golden.
Be open minded to trying new games and accepting that you won't get/find everything you want.

Depending on your group, you may also want to google "Travel Advice" about packing meds, accessories, a water bottle and other sundry items. Indianapolis has a great convention center and it's surrounded by businesses that support it but a GenCon vacation can vary from free/cheap to very expensive depending on your taste.

Feel free to continue to ask questions here or on social media. Mike, from above, is official GenCon staff but others here can answer questions as well.

Final advice: GenCon is 183 days away. Start saving a few bucks here and there now and it won't seem like a financial burden. Spreading out the costs makes it less painful. I've already got an AirBNB house for the week at $1,200. Badges, parking and event tickets all go on sale at different times so pick up what you can when it becomes available.

If there is something you really really really want, put it in the wishlist and then check back a bunch.   https://gencon.eventdb.us/ is a great 3rd party site that will do updates on what has been returned and what is new since events are added up until Gen Con   

I usually split my events up into 1/3rds.   Events/games I've done before, events/games I know of but have never tried and the last bucket is no idea what that is, but gonna try it.   The more open to what you might want to do for games/events the less stressful the entire process is. 

Even the week before Gen con there probably is going to be 9K+ events available (events that you need a ticket), not to mention the countless other free things going on (vendor hall, auction, pick up games, Cardhalla, etc).   My favorite event last year was one I signed up for on a whim the week of Gen Con.

I usually avoid promo cards in the vendor hall (too much FOMO for me) so can't help you much there.   There are events run by manufacturers that might do a giveaway and those are typically listed in the description.   The bigger the event the more likely there are giveaways.   For example, Big Game night with AEG is around $40 and you get a bundle of games at the end and they do a raffle.

Good news!  That was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.  I knew roughly how the events worked, but knowing there is some level of experience designation helps a lot.  I already watch a ton of YouTube vids to learn game rules and feel, so that will work perfectly.  I just know that rules knowledge doesn't mean experience and I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting trounced at a table of experts even though I could kinda play along :)  

Sleep!! Get Sleep!!

Plan your shopping (Exhibit Hall)

Since you are being picked-up and dropped off. Choose a day to go shopping in the exhibit hall and have said family come back to pick up your loot so you can continue. Or make a run to a nearby hotel to ship your loot back home via UPS. Trying to run to an event with full hands sucks. Trying to get food or a bathroom break. (Check policy on having extra stuff at the table or event you sign up for) If you plan to do a True Dungeon Run- you cannot bring in a bunch of stuff and they only have bag checks for VIPs) Demos tables and Art stuff can have limited space. Just a heads up.

I have to second -- and third -- SLEEP! I used to hit the con from, say, 9am until midnight, then go out afterward and wind up with just two or three hours of sleep. After catching myself micro-napping through various events, I figured it best to adjust my schedule a wee bit for the next con.

If you can get downtown a day before the con officially opens, take some time and scout things out. Not just where your various events are (although that is vital, considering Gen Con is spread throughout the convention center, the football stadium, and various hotels), but figure out where other things are at -- like the bathrooms, hydration stations, and different places to eat (such as the food court in the Circle Center Mall). Navigate the hamster tubes (skywalks); those'll definitely come in handy if it starts to rain.

Speaking of rain, it's usually a good idea to dress in layers. It can get steaming hot outside to somewhat brisk in the ICC.

Didn't there use to be a UPS set up in or near the exhibit hall? If it's still there, that could help with shipping. Exhibit Hall hours are, if I remember right, 10am-6pm, Thursday-Saturday. I'm not sure of Sunday, but a lot of the vendors will be shutting down then.

Don't forget the Auction!

You mentioned you've been researching games on YouTube. Take a look at some of the Gen Con videos, too. Those can help give you an idea of what you'll be in for.

what's the auction? 

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Live Game Auctions – Register your games for sale at the Gen Con Auction

Nuts, a couple years ago, I entered a comic-book poster from the '80s and got to see it sell for $60! That was easily one of the highlights for me that year.

Be packed and ready with all clothes and meds by the Monday before.
Be well rested all week, keep your fluids up. Register for events well in advance.

SLEEP. You know how much you need, and don't skimp. For me, I aim at 6-6.5 hours.
There's gonna be people with different cooties than your local cooties, you want your body ready to fight off the assorted sickness grab bag you'll be exposed to. Be prepared to be feeling under the weather the week after.

Be prepared with a morning routine for everyone to have time to SHOWER and EAT BREAKFAST.
Drink fluids. Wear well broken in shoes that you can walk in all day. Bring your phone charger. Dress for the inside of the convention center temperature, not the outside weather temperature. Be ready for big crowds...no...much bigger crowds. EAT AGAIN - before the Exhibit Hall closes, I suggest the Food Trucks, and go crazy, but avoid stuff that might make things unpleasant.
(I skip on ice cream/shakes, dairy and my guts don't always get along)

Keep an eye out regarding transport out of Indy - I've had buses cancelled on me several times, and the sooner you know the sooner you can fix the problem.

<Edit - OH! Have your badge sent to you, and don't pack it any baggage, keep it with your bags until you leave the house, then keep it on your person.>

Just some things I do that may or may not be useful to you.

I register for as many of the games I want to play off-merchant hall hours as I can. While I do still attend plenty of games during merchant hall hours this allows me to wander the merchant hall more. I'm usually gaming as early as 8am or 10am until midnight with a short lunch break at the food trucks and around a two hour break for a sit-down dinner, but I usually make sure I leave at least a couple hours to wander the merchant hall.

There's usually a group of us that go together and we try to have a sit down meal together with as many of us as possible for dinner. It's a good way to just relax for a bit, talk, and still feel like we're a 'group' even though we might have been off doing our own thing most the day.

I carry a well insulated water bottle full of ice (usually filled with lemonade), maybe a single can refill, top it off with water once in a while and some small snacks (candybar, nuts, whatever).

I have a tablet I carry with me that has all the info I need for everything I want to do, but I typically have a physical print out of the convention maps and my schedule, with my even locations marked.

Typically I'll avoid the opening of the merchant hall doors and just play a game in the mornings instead. Unless you're trying to get your hands on something that's going to disappear fast and can't be bought later (after the Con). The crush of that initial rush each morning just isn't worth it to me.

I don't actually formally register for all the games I want to see in action or learn (in order to decide if I want to buy them). Sometimes I just make a note of the time slots and only show up to watch. This way, once I get a feel for the game, I can stay or walk away without creating a negative situation (walking out on a game or just vanishing). I do this more often with RPG's than Boardgames.simply because I find that once I get a feel for how characters are built and the basic rules work in an RPG I have a decent idea of if I"m going to like it. With Boardgames I find I want to a more direct experience with the game.  Also, I find getting stuck with people you're not a fan of tends to be worse with Roleplaying than just playing a Boardgame.

If something is easily bought after the convention, rather than during it, and is going to pretty much cost me the same later, I'll grab a business card, or catalog, or whatever and wait. This way I'm not packing a bunch of stuff home with me.

Try the First Exposure Playtest Hall, they have multiple sessions and virtually guaranteed you will be at a table where no one has seen the game or knows the rules, such will be taught.  And you're welcome to judge how easy or confusing the rules are for you, that's good feedback to the designer.